Check-out system, payment apparatus, input processing apparatus, and control program

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a check-out system includes a plurality of the payment apparatuses in communication with each other and with a registration apparatus. A payment processor processes a payment in accordance with received payment information and a customer input. A storage unit stores received payment information when the payment apparatus is available to process payment. A transmission unit of a payment apparatus transmits received payment information to another payment apparatus of the plurality of payment apparatuses when the payment apparatus is unavailable to currently process the received payment information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A check-out system comprising:
 a registration apparatus; and   a plurality of payment apparatuses in communication with each other and with the registration apparatus, wherein   the registration apparatus includes:
 a registration input device configured to receive data corresponding an item for a transaction; and 
 a registration processor configured to generate payment information for the transaction based on the data and to cause the payment information to be transmitted to one payment apparatus of the plurality of payment apparatuses, and 
   each of the payment apparatuses includes:
 a payment processor configured to process a payment in accordance with received payment information and a customer input; 
 a storage unit configured to store received payment information when the payment apparatus is available to process payment; and 
 a transmission unit configured to transmit received payment information to another payment apparatus of the plurality of payment apparatuses when the payment apparatus is unavailable to currently process the received payment information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the payment processor refers to a busy flag to determine whether the payment apparatus can currently process payment. 
     
     
         3 . The check-out system according to  claim 2 , wherein the transmission unit transmits, to the registration apparatus, whether the payment apparatus can currently process payment. 
     
     
         4 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the registration apparatus is configured to provide a notification to the customer of which payment apparatus out of the plurality of payment apparatuses is available to currently process payment for a transaction of the customer. 
     
     
         5 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of payment apparatuses are in communication with each other and with the registration apparatus via a network. 
     
     
         6 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the payment apparatus stores a source address of the received payment information. 
     
     
         7 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the registration input device is one of a code scanner and an image recognition scanner. 
     
     
         8 . The check-out system according to  claim 1 , wherein the payment apparatus sets a busy flag to indicate availability for processing payment. 
     
     
         9 . A payment apparatus for use in a check-out system including a plurality of the payment apparatuses in communication with each other and with a registration apparatus, the payment apparatus including:
 a payment processor configured to process a payment in accordance with received payment information and a customer input;   a storage unit configured to store received payment information when the payment apparatus is available to process payment; and   a transmission unit configured to transmit received payment information to another payment apparatus of the plurality of payment apparatuses when the payment apparatus is unavailable to currently process the received payment information.   
     
     
         10 . The payment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the payment processor refers to an availability indicator to determine whether the payment apparatus can currently process payment for the newly received payment information. 
     
     
         11 . The payment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the transmission unit transmits, to the registration apparatus, whether the payment apparatus can currently process payment. 
     
     
         12 . The payment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the payment apparatus sets a busy flag to indicate availability for processing payment. 
     
     
         13 . The payment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the payment apparatus is in communication with the plurality of payment apparatuses and with the registration apparatus in the system via a network. 
     
     
         14 . The payment apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the payment apparatus stores a source address of the received payment information. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions for a payment apparatus in a system including a plurality of the payment apparatuses in communication with each other and with a registration apparatus, the instructions causing the payment apparatus to perform the steps of:
 process a payment in accordance with received payment information and a customer input;   determine whether the payment apparatus is available to currently process payment;   store received payment information when the payment apparatus is available to process payment; and   transmit received payment information to another payment apparatus of the plurality of payment apparatuses when the payment apparatus is unavailable to currently process the received payment information.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein whether the payment apparatus is available to currently process the newly received payment information is determined based on a busy flag stored in memory. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein instructions further cause the payment apparatus to transmit, to the registration apparatus, whether the payment apparatus can currently process payment information. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the payment apparatus to transmit, to the registration apparatus, an error signal when payment information is received while the payment apparatus is processing a payment and no transmission destination ID is stored in the payment apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein instructions cause the payment apparatus to be in communication with the plurality of payment apparatuses and with the registration apparatus in the system via a network. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the payment apparatus stores a source address of the received payment information.